Cover Story
An interview with director Liesl Tommy, who gives Aretha Franklin the ‘Respect’ she deserves
It has almost been three years since the Queen of Soul, our very own world-renowned Ms. Aretha Franklin, left us. Her musical genius, grace, and activism not only contributed to the legacy and evolving definition of Blackness but also reached a global audience where she expressed to us and even ministered to us what it…
Singer-songwriter and poet Ani DiFranco to spread the ‘Revolutionary Love’ in Lake Orion
Over the course of nearly 30 years and 20 albums, singer-songwriter, poet, and activist Ani DiFranco has blazed a trail all her own. As one of the first artists to create their own label (Righteous Babe Records in 1990 — she was 19), DiFranco reminds us that folk isn’t about wielding an acoustic guitar; it’s…
Natalie Wadlington’s ‘Pooled’ explores fragility and crisis through bold and whimsical paintings
If you’ve found that your emotions are less contained these days and spill over from time to time, you’re not alone. Through painting, California native and Texas-based artist Natalie Wadlington explores existentialism, environmentalism, the fragility of human-nature relationships, and the anxiety that manifests as a result. Wadlington’s latest exhibition, Pooled, tells the story of a…
Chicago house and techno beatmaker Green Velvet to perform back-to-back sets at Detroit’s Magic Stick
What’s in a name? Or, in the case of Curtis Alan Jones, names. The 53-year-old Chicago native and stalwart in the house and techno genres, better known as Green Velvet (fka Cajmere, Geo Vogt, Half Pint, Curan Stone, and Gino Vittori) has kept the party going for three decades with his brand of emotional and…
Modest Mouse to bring more than 20 years of indie rock to Meadow Brook Amphitheatre
If you’re going to resurrect yourself, might as well emerge from a golden casket or, in the case of indie-rock darlings Modest Mouse, their first album in six years, The Golden Casket. The Isaac Brock-led outfit, which may be best known for their 2004 earworm “Float On,” has floated on through the last 20 years…
Irresistible hit-makers Daryl Hall and John Oates will make dreams come true at DTE Energy Music Theatre
For more than 50 years, duo Daryl Hall & John Oates have been enchanting the masses with their soft-rock royalty status and their unmatched songwriting sorcery. Though the two no longer record together and live on opposite sides of the country, the blue-eyed soul duo have survived the following: pornographic facial hair trends, rumors that…
Big Sean’s D.O.N. Weekend returns to Detroit
Big Sean’s annual charity weekend returns to Detroit after taking a hiatus last year due to the pandemic. The 2021 Detroit’s On Now Weekend will begin Saturday, Aug. 28 at the Lloyd H. Diel Boys & Girls Club on Detroit’s Westside. The Sean Anderson Foundation partnered with the Boys and Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan…
Animal rights activists, rejoice! Ann Arbor votes to ban sale of new fur products
Ann Arbor is putting the F-U in fur with its latest ordinance. On Monday, Ann Arbor City Council voted unanimously to prohibit the sale of new fur items, like coats, capes, muffs, wraps, and stoles, and is believed to be the first city in the Midwest to do so, The Detroit Free Press reports. “This…
Online sleuths help FBI arrest Michigan bodybuilder caught on video assaulting officer at Jan. 6 riot
The FBI has arrested a Michigan bodybuilder and right-wing conspiracy theorist for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the bureau told Metro Times on Tuesday. Logan Barhnart is in custody and faces multiple federal charges after he was seen on video grabbing a D.C. Metropolitan police officer and dragging him…
Live Nation announces proof of vaccination requirements for The Fillmore and Saint Andrew’s Hall
The list of local venues and bars requiring proof of vaccination or a negative test just keeps on growing. Live Nation, one of the largest concert promotion companies, has announced it will require artists and concert goers to show proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test before entering any of its venues, festivals,…
Shirkey says he’ll crash Mackinac conference despite vaccine requirement, spouts COVID-19 misinformation on TV
Michigan state Sen. Mike Shirkey said he plans to attend the annual Mackinac Policy Conference, even though this year’s conference requires COVID-19 vaccination — and Shirkey refuses to get vaccinated. The Republican Senate majority leader made the comments Monday during a softball interview on The Bart Hawley Show on Jackson’s JTV. “They have this crazy…
Eminem tapped to portray White Boy Rick in 50 Cent’s upcoming Starz series
What’s slim, shady, and white all over? Eminem, 48, has been tapped to portray Richard “White Boy Rick” Wershe Jr. in BMF, rapper 50 Cent’s upcoming Starz series inspired by a real-life Detroit crime family. The performance will mark the first small screen appearance for the Detroit “Rap God” since 2010, when Eminem appeared as…
Detroit Jazz Festival returns to free virtual format, citing COVID-19 and Hart Plaza construction concerns
Not unlike jazz musicians, organizers behind the 42nd annual Detroit Jazz Festival are improvising by pivoting to a virtual format for the quickly approaching Labor Day weekend event. The world’s largest free jazz festival previously announced an in-person event with some pandemic changes, including cashless payments at vendor booths, lots of sanitizing stations, and more…
A three-story marijuana dispensary just opened in East Lansing
You can’t miss Pincanna’s new dispensary in East Lansing. The three-story, 7,000 square-foot dispensary opened last week in a former apartment building at 1234 E. Grand River Ave. “Not surprisingly, we are thrilled to open what we consider one of the best cannabis retail locations in the state, which happens to be in my Alma…
Pain and resilience: The legacy of Native American boarding schools in Michigan
In May, a horrific discovery in British Columbia caught the world’s attention: The unmarked gravesites of hundreds of Indigenous children, buried near the boarding school they were forced to attend by their government and the Catholic Church in a mass effort to assimilate them into white culture. Since then, over 1,300 graves have been found near…
Detroit offers 3rd dose of COVID-19 vaccine to immunocompromised residents
Detroiters who are immunocompromised and have been fully vaccinated can get a third shot of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines at the TCF Center beginning Tuesday, the city announced Monday. The announcement comes three days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended third doses of the coronavirus vaccine for people with weakened…
Michigan groups urge bold action to tackle climate change
As Congress works on an infrastructure package, advocates for climate action say bold steps to curb greenhouse-gas emissions and transition to a clean-energy economy are necessary and urgent. The Senate passed a bipartisan infrastructure deal last week – for broadband access, roads, bridges and Amtrak – but Democrats in the House of Representatives say it…
Darkroom Detroit resumes in-person film and photography workshops
Non-profit photography agency Darkroom Detroit has resumed in-person workshops and classes for people of all ages and levels. Classes include photography and software programming classes such as introduction to film photography, introduction to color and black and white film processing, film scanning workshop, photography basics workshop, Adobe Lightroom for beginners, introduction to Photoshop, and more.…
Michigan shatters record for marijuana sales in July, pulling in more than $23 million in tax revenue
Fireworks weren’t the only thing ablaze in Michigan last month. July was yet another record-breaking month for Michigan marijuana sales, which netted more than $171 million, according to Marijuana Moment. Michigan cannabis consumers were responsible for $128 million in adult-use recreational sales and $43 million in medical marijuana sales, generating more than $23 million in…
James Craig employs Trump-like rhetoric in plan to protect police from those crime-loving liberals
Blaming liberal politicians for riots and rising crime rates, former Detroit Police Chief James Craig is turning up the conservative rhetoric as he prepares to formally announce he’s running for governor as a Republican. Craig on Monday announced the creation of a “bipartisan” group whose mission is to support law enforcement and denounce “woke protests…
Here’s a synth-pop cover album of Madonna songs on her birthday
Happy birthday to Madonna, whose 63rd birthday is Monday. To celebrate, indie label Italians Do It Better — which took its name from the message emblazoned on the Queen of Pop’s T-shirt in the “Papa Don’t Preach” video — released a covers album of Madonna songs reimagined in its dark synth-pop style. The 20-track record…
Asian Corned Beef closures, a new Barcade, and that damn ‘hyena’: the top Detroit Metro Times headlines this week
It looks like plenty of people are still interested in last week’s apparent hyena hoax, as our debunking of the viral Facebook post of a Detroit woman and her alleged pet was once again our top story this week. And people are still clicking on last week’s cover story profile on former DPD Police Chief…
Michigan First Credit Union under fire for telling customers not to wear masks so they can ‘see your smiling face’
While most businesses are fighting to get customers to keep their masks on amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a local credit union has decided it wants your mask to be off. Michigan First Credit Union sent notice to its members last month that they “would love to see your smiling face” and are requesting that members…
Rapper Tee Grizzley debuts his new line of cannabis products in a former ice cream store in metro Detroit
Rapper Tee Grizzley has entered the marijuana game with his new “Grizzley Gas” strains. The full line of products includes The Original Grizzley Gas, Marshmallow OG, Jet Fuel Gelato, and East Side OG, which drop on Saturday at Levels Cannabis, a new dispensary in Center Line, outside of Detroit. Awsem Zbair, the Levels Cannabis’ director…
TikTok user goes viral after giving a tour of Detroit apartment building’s horror movie-worthy laundry room
When apartment hunting, having in-unit laundry amenities are often at the top of many renters’ wish list. Except for this one. Detroit resident, TikTok user, and DJ Garrison Briggs took users on a truly horrifying tour of his apartment building’s, uh, curious laundry room situation — and survived to tell the tale. “So I have…
Duggan disputes 2020 census count that shows Detroit lost 10.5% of its population
Mayor Mike Duggan said he’s exploring “legal remedies” after the U.S. Census Bureau indicated Detroit’s population fell 10.5% in the last 10 years. It’s the seventh straight decade that Detroit shed its population, which peaked at 1.85 million in the 1950s. Detroit’s Black population was hit the hardest. While the Hispanic, Asian, and white populations…
DHHS: 98% of Michigan COVID-19 cases are from unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated people
The COVID-19 patients filling Michigan’s hospitals are mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters. They hail from throughout the state, from the tip of the Upper Peninsula to the Ohio and Indiana borders; they live in city apartments and old farm houses on land dotted by cornstalks. They are younger than many of the COVID-19 patients in…
Concert promoter AEG will now require proof of vaccination, impacting two metro Detroit venues
Dust off those vax cards, because they’re going to get some major use if you plan on attending concerts in the metro Detroit area this year. Global concert promoter AEG Presents announced Thursday that it will be requiring proof of vaccination for guests, staff, and talent throughout its affiliated venues, which include Royal Oak Music…
A fourth Detroit-area bar now requires proof of vaccination
In the last few weeks a few Detroit-area bars and venues announced that they were going to require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test for staff and patrons. Well, a fourth bar has entered the chat. The Film Lab, a bar and microcinema in Hamtramck, has joined Marble Bar, The Magic Bag, and…
Dentitox Pro Review – Is It Helpful For Your Dental Health?
People around the world are facing various problems regarding oral health. Some people ignore their oral health and avoid visiting the dentist due to high charges or pain. Many new supplements are now available in the market to keep your dental health protected. Would you like to protect your dental health without any pain? Do…
Detroit chain Asian Corned Beef closes multiple restaurants
It looks like local fast-food chain Asian Corned Beef, like many restaurants, wasn’t able to escape the pandemic unscathed. The company had expanded rapidly in recent years, with eight Detroit locations as of a 2019 Metro Times cover story. But according to ACB’s website, now only three remain — the original location at 13360 Wyoming…
Detroit man accused of threatening to kill Whitmer, Nessel to avoid jail in plea deal
A 34-year-old Detroit man who prosecutors say “made credible threat to kill” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel has pleaded guilty but mentally ill in a deal that would keep him out of jail. Robert Sinclair Tesh was charged in April with false report of a threat of terrorism, a felony that carries…
Report finds 9 out of 10 Michigan restaurants are ‘inadequately staffed,’ and we’re not surprised
If you’ve recently visited a Michigan hotel or restaurant, be it a sit-down spot or fast food joint, and you’ve had to wait longer than usual, or have been turned away due to shortened hours of operation there’s a reason for that: inadequate staffing. Surprised? Neither are we. The Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association (MRLA)…
Michigan’s marijuana tax revenue funds $20M studies on medical cannabis for veterans with PTSD
The Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Agency awarded $20 million in grants for two research projects that will study the effects of medical marijuana on military veterans with mental health disorders. The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) received nearly $13 million to examine “the efficacy of marijuana in treating the medical conditions of U.S. armed services…
Smokey Bones barbecue chain heading to Detroit area
A national barbecue chain that bills itself as “The Masters of Meat” is heading to the Detroit area. Smokey Bones plans to open a location in Utica early next year near the Shelby Corners shopping center. It’ll be the chain’s first Detroit-area location and third in Michigan. The restaurant will utilize the chain’s new “prototype”…
Betsy DeVos won’t run for Michigan governor as GOP searches for viable candidates
Michigan GOP billionaire Betsy DeVos, the controversial education secretary under former President Donald Trump, said Tuesday she will not run for governor in 2022. “It’s not going to be me,” DeVos told The Detroit News. “I appreciate that some folks are interested in that, but I think the rumor and interest really only serves to…
Savage Love: I fell in love with my second cousin at a family reunion
I fell in love with my second cousin about four years ago at a family reunion. (I hadn’t laid eyes on him since I was a kid!) I was 15 when we met, he was two years older, and we were in a long-distance relationship for three years. We ended things a year ago, and…
Free Will Astrology (Aug. 11-17)
ARIES: March 21 – April 19: Consecrate isn’t a word you often encounter in intellectual circles. In my home country of America, many otherwise smart people spurn the possibility that we might want to make things sacred. And a lot of art aspires to do the opposite of consecration: strip the world of holiness and…
Why does it feel like so many tours skip Detroit? It’s complicated.
Detroit is indisputably one of the most important music cities on the planet. But does it ever feel like more often than not, your favorite artists skip it on tour? For example, out of 52 tours announced since April, 31 are coming to metro Detroit, while 21 are not, including acts like Yo La Tengo,…
ICYMI: Climate report says we’re fucked, R. Kelly trial starts, Canadian border reopens, and more
We’re fucked. That’s according to the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which released a searing new report on Monday that paints a grim future. According to the report, even if nations immediately kicked their addictions to fossil fuels, global warming will still probably rise 1.5 degrees Celsius within the next two decades, causing…
Ron DeSantis has not reconsidered
On paper, George McClellan was as good a commander as the U.S. had available in 1861. But he was reluctant to attack despite his numerical and tactical advantages. So in November 1862, President Lincoln removed Little Mac as commander of the Army of the Potomac. Thus began the procession of Lincoln’s failed generals — Ambrose…
Cori Bush forced Democrats to be accountable. And that’s exactly what Big Money feared in Nina Turner.
I watched the returns from Ohio’s special election from a watch party for Abdullah Hammoud, the Michigan State Representative who took nearly 50% of the vote in a six-way primary for Dearborn mayor. Abdullah is the real deal — a progressive rooted in the fabric of his community who understands how to frame broader issues…
DSO goes ‘Star Wars,’ Charivari, Ribs and R&B, and more things to do in Detroit this week
Charivari Thursday, 8/12-Sunday, 8/15: The future is now, folks. This couldn’t come at a better time because, as we all know, the past can be, well, pretty shitty. The folks behind Charivari, the insanely stuffed four-day electronic music festival that celebrates wellness, culture, and, of course, Detroit’s contributions to house, techno, and electronica. The multi-faceted…
Midnight Temple holds a chicken tikka master class in Eastern Market
During a conversation about his year-old Eastern Market Indian fusion restaurant, Midnight Temple co-owner Akash Sudhakara offered up a rather surprising estimate: About 75% of his customers have never tried Indian food. People, you’ve been missing out. Few of the world’s cuisines are as consistently deep, rich, and fragrant, and if you’re going to get…
Zany rock opera ‘Annette’ expertly embraces artifice
Like many filmmakers, Leos Carax has been finding new ways to iterate the same essential story onscreen for years. While his previous film, Holy Motors, presented a suite of ominous, at times ardently (even stubbornly) hopeful parables about art in the withering context of contemporary life, his newest, Annette, is a return to old themes…
